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Topic: TSI Games - Seven Dragon Saga (Read 2656 times)

For those who don't know, TSI Games (made up of former SSI employees) are working on a game called "Seven Dragon Saga." They claim that they want to take gaming back to the "Gold-Box" era. You can read more about it here: http://www.tsi-games.com/seven-dragon-saga-tsi-games/

What things from the Gold-Box era would you like to see them bring into modern gaming? (Some of the answers are intended to be fun, but there are probably better answers, so if you think of something, let me know and I'll add it to the poll).

Feel free to leave comments about other things you would like to see in a modern Gold-Box style game, and what you hope they don't include.

I admit I've played through none of the original Gold Box games, only the UA homages and remakes, but I'd like to see all of the above! (Although a four character party would be fine, too. And 3D view is not a must, I'd also like a game in the style of Knights of the Chalice or even more modern like Divinity: Original Sin, in case they don't want to go full retro. Modify Stats is not necessary either, I just like the choice.)

On the other hand, these things I don't need to see resurrected:- old-school copy protection (not as bad as modern day DRM, but still annoying)- journal entries that you have to read outside of the game- paper-thin walls- random combat every 3-5 steps (or in general, too much hacky slashy grinding with same old enemy types)- limited saveslots named by letters only (I got used to it and built my own conventions, but nostalgic feelings aside, this can be done better today)- no quitting button without saving (which does make sense in a way, as it prevents you to accidentally lose your progress, but sometimes you just want to quit without saving)

This week, TSI rolled out some information about their "Gateway" initiative, a function that would allow players to export characters and import them between supported RPGs.

Transfering parties was an aspect of the Gold Box games, within their respective series. But this goes beyond that to using characters in all together different games, even of different settings. More in line with what the older cRPGs did between Wizardry-Bard's Tale, or Hillsfar-Pool of Radiance.

I support the option from a design phliosophical stand point, as I always run the same characters, who in turn are based on PnP characters when I was playing tabletop AD&D. I do not treat various cRPGs as existing in a vacuum, whether Might & Magic or Icewind Dale. Obviously fantasy universes share enough similarities to enjoy this kind of continuity, if one chooses. I also have no problem playing the same archetypes even in a Sci-Fi setting (did it for Buck Rogers), or a Western, or whatever. As a matter of fact, I would find it wildly entertaining. It would treat it like alternate realities, or the Elseworld line of comics that featured Marvel/DC crossovers.

The Gygaxian view of cosmology suggests all worlds are just various Prime Material Planes in the multi-verse. Including classic AD&D settings and those with more advanced technolgy or different rules for magic/no magic.

I believe the idea behind TSI's Gateway initiative takes a page out of this viewpont, as stated by David Shelley about bringing adventuring parties through different games.

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"The curse is time, and the tragedy that we have not enough of it."~Charlotte, the Village ElderHearkenwold

It's an interesting idea - but I wonder how they are going to implement it!- At a simple level, there needs to be some way to export character stats, in some compatible format.- If it is simple text, players all over the world will of course want to edit these stats to make themselves uber-powerful (let's see, all 25 stats, all +5 weapons, spellbooks with full spells, etc.) - so I suppose that some kind of feeble attempt to encrypt or binarize it will be implemented.- Still, if the implementation is open source, or even if it isn't, programmers will find ways to make editors to edit stats anyway.